Urbanism

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This article is about the character of urban life. For other uses, see Urbanism (disambiguation).

A modern large-scale urban development in Kazan, Russia

Urbanism is the study of the characteristic ways of interaction of inhabitants

of towns and cities (urban areas) with the built environment. It is a direct component of disciplines
such as urban planning (the physical design and management of urban structures) and urban
sociology (the study of urban life and culture). However, in some contexts internationally Urbanism is
synonymous with Urban Planning, and the Urbanist refers to an Urban Planner.
Many architects, planners, and sociologists investigate the way people live in densely
populated urban areas. There are a huge variety of approaches within urbanism.[1]
Urbanism's emergence in the early 20th century was associated with the rise of
centralized manufacturing, mixed-use neighborhoods, social organizations and networks, and what
has been described as "the convergence between political, social and economic citizenship".[2]
Urbanism can be understood as placemaking and the creation of place identity at a citywide level,
however as early as 1938 Louis Wirthwrote that it is necessary to stop 'identify[ing] urbanism with
the physical entity of the city', go 'beyond an arbitrary boundary line' and consider how 'technological
developments in transportation and communication have enormously extended the urban mode of
living beyond the confines of the city itself.' [3]